Boiler-tube cutter.



J. L. BROWDER.

BOILER TUBE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1910.

Patented 001. 31,1911.

JACK L. BROWDER, OF O'ITUMWA, IOWA.

BOILER-TUBE CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 15, 1910.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 577,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACK L. BRowDEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Boiler-Tube Cutter, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described of simple, durable and inexpensive construction so arranged that it may be readily, quickly and easily placed in the end of a boiler tube and manually operated to out off the tube at any desired distance from the end.

More specifically it is my object to provide improved means for forcing the cutting rollers outwardly into engagement with the boiler tube and for returning them to closed position.

A further object is to provide improved means for centering the cutting device within a tube and for preventing longitudinal movement thereof after the operation has been started to thereby cut a continuous groove exactly circular from the interior of the boiler tube outwardly.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal, central, sectional view of a device embodying my invention arranged in cutting position within a boiler tube. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged, detail, transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, detail, transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows an end view of the ratchet device for rotating the shaft 11 and for expanding the cutter rollers. Fig. 5 shows a similar view of the ratchet device for rotating the body portion and cutter rollers with the detachable side plate thereof removed, and Fig. 6 shows an end elevation of the cutter taken from the inner end of same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the body portion of the cutter substantially cylindrical in shape. It is provided with a longitudinally arranged opening in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 11. The

I inner end of the opening is of larger diameter than the outer end and a shoulder 12 is formed at the point where the large and small portions of the opening meet. Resting against this shoulder is a collar 13 on the shaft 11 to limit the outward movement of the shaft, and fixed on the outer end of the shaft beyond the body portion 10 is a ratchet wheel 14 which limits the inward movement ofthe shaft so that said shaft is capable of rotary movement only, but may be moved longitudinally to withdraw it from the body portion by firstremoving the ratchet wheel 14 and then forcing the shaft inwardly through the body portion. The inner end of the shaft is screw threaded at 15. This inner end is mounted in a sliding block 16 arranged within the enlarged portion of the central opening of the body 10, and said block is provided with a triangular pointed end portion 17 at its inner end. The block is also provided with a guide lug 18 that'operates in a longitudinal slot 19 formed in the body portion to permit longitudinal movement of the block and to prevent rotary movement thereof. The said block has a screw threaded interior to coact with the screw threaded portion 15 of the shaft 11. At the inner end of the body 10 is a slightly enlarged cylindrical portion 20 having a number of openings therein leading from the exterior of the body portion to the central opening therein. In each of these openings, I have mounted a cutter-carrying arm 21, each being pivoted at 22 to the part 20 and each also being provided with a roller 23 having a sharpened periphery. The central portions of these arms 21 may move inwardly, as shownin Fig. 2, far enough to touch each other and form a substantially triangular opening between them designed to receive the triangular shaped end 17 of the block 16. These arms are arranged to swing inwardly and outwardly in a plane exactly at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body 10 and the rolling cutters are also so arranged that when rotated they will travel in the same path.

Screwed into the end of the part 20 is a tube 24 having rotatably mounted on its outer end a disk 25 which disk isprovided with a series of radial openings in each of which is mounted a guide device 26, there being a spring 27 for each guide device tend; ing to normally hold it outwardly. The outward movement of each of these guide devices is limited by having a pin 28 fixedf thereto and extended through a radial slot 29 in the disk 25 shown in Fig. (3. This disk and the guide devices are of such size that they will engage the interior surface of a boiler tube and thus form a means for centering the cutter within a boiler tube.

In order to provide for moving the arms 21 inwardly when released from engagement with the block 16, I have provided a series of springs 30, one for each arm. Each spring is fixed at one end to the tube 24 by means of a screw 31 and it is extended longitudinally of the tube 24 and outwardly and its other end is inserted in an opening in the arm 21. In the part 20, I have provided notches 32 to receive the springs 30 so that the arms 21 may move inwardly a considerable distance. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show the springs 30 at their inner limits of movement.

In order to provide for accurately centering the body portion 10 within a boiler tube and also to provide for adjusting the device so that the cut may be made at any desired distance from the end of the boiler tube, I have formed on the body portion 10 a series of annular grooves and slidingly mounted upon the body 10 adjacent to these grooves is a collar 34 having a beveled portion at 35 designed to partially enter the end of the boiler tube, as shown in Fig. 1, in which the boiler tube is indicated by the numeral 36. In order to adjust this collar longitudinally of the body 10, I have provided a set screw 37 extended through the collar and designed to be placed in any one of the annular grooves 33.

Before inserting a cutter device in the boiler tube, the operator adjusts the collar 34 to the desired position so that when the cutting device is inserted in a boiler tube and the cutting plates expanded to engage the boiler tube the tube will be cut off at the desired distance from its end. Furthermore, the tapered beveled portion 35 will engage the boiler tube in such a manner as to accurately center the cutting device within the tube.

In order to provide for rotating the shaft 11 as required to feed the cutting rollers outwardly, I have provided on the body portion 10 a ratchet wheel 38 and a handle 39 rotatably mounted relatively to the ratchet wheel. Said handle is provided with a detachable plate 40 and mounted in the handle is a spring-actuated pawl 41 to engage the ratchet wheel 38.

In order to provide for rotating the ratchet wheel 14 at the end of the shaft 11, I have mounted on the handle 39 a pawl 42 provided with a spring 43 to normally hold it in engagement with the ratchet wheel 14 on the shaft 11.

Obviously when the handle 39 is moved in one direction the body portion 10 will be rotated as required for cutting the boiler tube and the shaft 11 will also be rotated as required to feed the cutters outwardly toward the boiler tube. Further, I have arranged the pawl 42 conveniently for the op erators hand so that he may at any time hold it out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 14 while operating the handle 39. Hence the feeding outwardly of the cutting rollers need not be continued during the entire rotation of the body portion 10 but need only be carried on when it is desirable to readjust the cutting rollers.

In practical operation, the collar 34 is first adjusted on the body 10 to the proper distance from the cutting roller. Then the entire device is inserted in a boiler tube'until the beveled portion of the collar engages the end of the tube; then the operator turns the ratchet wheel 14 until the triangular tapered end 17 of the block 16 has been forced inwardly far enough to spread the arms 21 until the cutting rollers 23 touch the interior of the boiler tube. When the cutting rollers are in engagement with the boiler tube, the operator rotates the body 10. by means of the handle 39. If the handle 39 is rotated continuously in one direct-ion the pawl 41 turns the body portion 10 continuously with the handle. This will cause the cutting rollers 23 to engage the interior of the boiler tube and they will all follow in the same circular path and cut into the interior of the boiler tube. In order that the rollers may all travel in exactly the same path, it is essential that longitudinal movement of the body 10 be prevented and that said body be centered within the boiler tube. This is accomplished by means of the guide device 25 at one end of the body portion and the tapered collar 34 at the outer end thereof. Obviously as the handle 39 is rotated the pawl 42 will engage the ratchet wheel 14 and turn the screw threaded shaft 11. This obviously will move the shaft 11 in unison with the movement of the body portion. If it is desired to rotate the shaft 11 independently of the body portion, as required to move the tapered block 16 in position for forcing the cutting rollers outwardly, I simply move the pawl 41 out of engagement with this ratchet wheel and then turn the handle 39, whereupon the shaft 11 will turn and the body portion 10 will remain stationary, then as soon as the cutting rollers engage the interior of the boiler tube firmly the pawl 41 is released and the body portion 10 and shaft 11 are again rotated in unison by the handle 39. After the tube has been cut through the operator grasps the ratchet wheel 14 and turns it in the reverse direction thus moving the tapered block 16 to position for permitting the arms 21 to move inwardly and this movement is assisted by the springs 30, whereupon the entire device may be readily and easily withdrawn from the end of the boiler tube.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an improved boiler tube cutter, a body portion designed to be received within a boiler tube, a shaft rotatably mounted in the central portion of said body portion screw threaded at its inner end, a tapered block constructed with a screw threaded opening slidingly and non-rotatably mounted within said body portion, the screw threaded end of said shaft being inserted in the screw threaded opening in said sliding block, radially extending arms pivotally mounted upon said body portion in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, and capable of movement outwardly and inwardly, said arms being designed to rest upon the tapered end of said block, and to move outward toward the inner periphery of said boiler tube when said tapered end is moved inward in said tube, means for exerting yielding pressure upon said arms to hold them adjacent to said tapered end, cutting rollers mounted in said arms adjacent to a boiler tube, means for securing said boiler tube cutter against longitudinal movement while in operation, means for imparting rotary motion to said body portion and means for imparting rotary motion to said shaft with relation to said body portion whereby said tapered block is moved inwardly in a boiler tube.

2. In a boiler tube cutter, the combination of a body portion designed to be inserted in a boiler tube, a series of radially movable cutter arms pivotally mounted in the body portion capable of movement in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said,

body port-ion, means for exerting yielding pressure on said cutting arms to normally draw them inwardly toward the center of said body portion, roller cutters mounted in said arms adjacent to a boiler tube, an adjustable collar on the body portion designed to partially enter the end portion of a boiler tube and to center the body portion within the boiler tube, an extension on the inner end of said body portion, a disk carried by said extension, and spring actuated guide devices normally projected outwardly from the disk to yieldingly engage the interior of a boiler tube.

3. An improved boiler tube cutter, comprising a body portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in the central portion of the body and having av screw threaded inner end, a tapered block slidingly and non-rotatably mounted within the body portion and having a screw threaded interior to coact with the screw threaded portion of the shaft, a series of arms mounted in the body portion, a rolling cutter in each arm, said arms being pivotally supported in the body portion and capable of movement from position contained within the body portion to position extended outwardly from the body portion, said movement being in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, a spring for yieldingly holding each arm at its inward limit, said arms be ing designed to engage with said tapered block, whereby they may be forced outwardly, a guide device at the inner end of the body portion comprising radially movable spring actuated guide devices to engage the interior of the boiler tube, and a tapered collar on the outer end portion of the body adjustably secured thereto and designed to engage the end portion of a boiler tube, means for turning the body portion, and means for turning the shaft independently of the body portion.

4. An improved boiler tube cutter, comprising a body portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in the central portion of the body and having a screw threaded inner end, a tapered block slidingly and non-rotatably mounted within the body portion and having a screw threaded interior to coact with the screw threaded portion of the shaft, a series of arms mounted in the body portion, a rolling cutter in each arm, said arms being pivotally supported in the body portion and capable of movement from position contained within the body portion to position extended outwardly from the body portion, said movement being in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, a spring for yieldingly holding each arm at its inward limit, said arms being designed to engage with said tapered block, whereby they may be forced outwardly, a guide device at the inner end of the body portion comprising radially movable spring actuated guide devices to engage the interior of the boiler tube, a tapered collar mounted on the body portion, a set screw extended through said collar, said body portion being provided with a series of annular grooves designed to receive said set screw, a ratchet wheel fixed to the end of the body portion, a ratchet wheel fixed to the end of said shaft, a handle rotatably mounted relative to said ratchet wheel on the body portion, and two pawls operatively connected with said handle for engaging said ratchet wheel, each of said pawls being so arranged that the operator may throw it out of engagement with its corresponding ratchet wheel, for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 18, 1910.

JACK L. BROWDER. Witnesses:

MARY WALLACE, W. A. LOFTUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

